Staraya Ladoga St. Nicholas monastery is located in the village of Staraya Ladoga, on the left Bank of the Volkhov river in five hundred metres from Rurik fortress. Today it is a monastery and a historic monument to the glory and piety of the Russian people.

The monastery was founded in the 12th-13th centuries. Most likely, at the same time was built the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Its Foundation dates back to the victory of Alexander Nevsky over the Swedish invaders in 1240.

The first documented information about the monastery is found in the census tribute books Votic founded and founded as a District of 1496, in the monastery. The monastery included about 20 villages. In St. Nicholas monastery on the census 1628 there were two stone churches: in honor of St. John Chrysostom and in honor of St. Nicholas. At the direction of the Metropolitan of Novgorod, Cornelius, in 1695 Tikhvin Church, built in the Zelenetsk the monastery was dismantled and moved to the monastery of St. Nicholas.

In the early 17th century, the monks brought the relics of St. Herman and St. Sergius of Valaam. Here they remained until 1718, and then they were transferred to the Valaam monastery.

In 1810 the monastery was opened by the district and parochial schools for children of the clergy. From 1841 to 1862, when it worked abode school for children living in the village. In 1924, the monastery and the Cathedral was closed. And in Soviet times the monastery was a school, warehouses, agricultural equipment, dormitories. Many of the buildings have fallen into disrepair. Only miraculously managed to keep the beautiful murals in the Church of St. John Chrysostom. In 1974, St. Nicholas Cathedral was included in the list of architectural monuments of national importance. At the moment of passing the monastery of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church has preserved the Church of St. Nicholas, Church of St. John Chrysostom, a number of monastic buildings and the bell tower.

According to the legend, St. Nicholas Cathedral was built in 1241. By the early 18th century it had four aisles: Dimitry, Annunciation, Tikhvin Antipasti and five chapters. Today the building has one Chapter and divided by arches into two floors – the Church and the basement.

In place of the old 17th century Church in 1860-1873, based on the project of architect A. M. Gornostayev was built the Church of St. John Chrysostom. On the walls, vaults and arches of the temple are still preserved paintings in the form of the gospel stories, in the style of academic realism, and Byzantine pattern geometric pattern.

The bell tower was built in 1691-1692, Tikhvin masters. Earlier, she had been married 10 bells, the weight of the largest of them was 100 pounds (he was donated to the monastery by merchant Alexei Golubkova in 1864 in memory of the late merchant's wife Elena). The bell tower had, and a clock that were later claimed in the Alexander Nevsky monastery.

In the centre of the Eastern wall are the Holy gates, who in 1691 also built Tikhvin masters. Between the temples housed the monastery cemetery. The monastery was surrounded by a stone wall, built in 1834-1839. On the corners stood four stone towers. In one of the towers housed the chapel.

The monastery was assigned to St. John's Cathedral, which was part of the old Ladoga John monastery, founded in 1276 (on its territory there are two springs, one named in honor of Saint Parascheva of the Balkans). To the Nikolsky monastery were also assigned: Transfiguration Church in the village of Carnevino on the other Bank of the Volkhov river and the Cathedral of St. Basil the Great.

The Shrine of the monastery is a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which Vladimir Goloshapova brought from Bari. She was brought to the monastery on 22 November 2002 by the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir. Today the monastery also holds relics of: of St. Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov; St. Mary Magdalene; St. Laurence of Chernigov; of the Holy great Martyr and healer Panteleimon; the neo-martyrs - Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and nun Varvara.

Now the monastery continues its revival by benefactors and monastics.